Hail, rain expected in Delhi this Valentine's Day

New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) Light rain accompanied by strong winds and hailstorm is likely to make a comeback from Wednesday and intensify by Thursday (February 14), making it a rain-drenched Valentine's Day for the people of Delhi.

"Another western disturbance accompanied by moist eastern winds from the Bay of Bengal is likely to hit the northwest plains of the country, including Delhi, from Wednesday night (February 13)," Kuldeep Srivastava, regional head of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), told IANS.

"The conditions on Wednesday night won't be much noticeable; however, rain accompanied by strong winds, thundershower and hailstorm at isolated places will intensify by Thursday," Srivastava said.

These conditions will continue over the national capital till Friday, he said.

The minimum temperature is also expected to rise by 3-4 degrees Celsius between Wednesday and Friday in northwest India. As per the IMD bulletin, the minimum temperature is expected to reach 13 degrees Celsius -- 4 notches above the season's normal -- during the period, while the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 21 degrees Celsius.

Owing to the recent spell of rain and heavy hailstorm on February 7, Delhi has been experiencing cold conditions with the minimum temperature dropping to 6 degrees Celsius, three notches below the normal, on Sunday.

On Monday and Tuesday too, the minimum temperature is expected to remain between 6 and 7 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature might hover around 21-22 degrees Celsius.

After nearly a decade, a heavy hailstorm accompanied by rain lashed several parts of Delhi-NCR on February 7, providing the city with fresh air with pollution levels touching the moderate mark.

However, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi on Sunday deteriorated to 276 or 'poor' category due to surface inversion -- the phenomenon in which a layer of cool, still air gets trapped below warmer air, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said.

"The air quality can further degrade in the coming three days. The air quality will be in high range of 'poor' for tomorrow and then slip to 'very poor' range thereafter. Likelihood of fresh western disturbance will improve the air quality after February 14," the agency said.